Plate lifter and turner



(NO Model.)

A. M. vH. L. BURNHAM.

PLAT LITBR AND TURNER.

NO. 558,154. Patented Apr. 14, 1896.

UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

ARTI-IUR -M. BURNHAM AND HATTIE 1L. BURNl-IAM, OF GARDINER, MAINE.

PLATE LIFTER AND TURNER.

SPECIFICATION fori'ning part of Letters Patent No. 558,154, dated April lIll, 1896.

Application filed February 11, 1895. i Serial No. 537,979. (No model.)

To all whom it may'concern:

Be it known that we, ARTHUR M. BURNHAM and IIATTIE L. BURNHAM, of Gardiner, in the county of Kennebec and State of Maine, have invented certain new and useful-Improvements in Plate Lifters and Turners; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to an improvement in plate lifters and turners, the obj ect of the invention being to produce simple and cheap devices for lifting and turning a plate while in the oven, such devices being so constructed and arrang'ed that it will be unnecessary to apply the devices to the plate while in the oven, thus avoiding the danger of injuring the pastry in the oven,`as is liable to be done when the lifter is applied to the plate while the latter is in the oven.

A further object is'to so constructplate lifting and turning devices that it may be applied to a plate before inserting it into an oven and a portion of said devices left connected with the plate.

A further object is to produce plate lifting and turning' devices which shall be simple in construction, cheap to manufacture, easy to operate, and effectual in the performance of their functions.

With these objects in view the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, as hereinafter set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in elevation of our improved platelifter, the handle appearing,` in perspective; and Figs. 2 and 3 are details.

'While we have shown the device in the drawings as applied to a pie-plate, it is evil dent that it may also be applied to other kinds of cooking utensils.

A represents a plate, to which a frame or bail B is removably connected. The frame The inner ends of the wire arms a meet at a point centrally located over the plate A and are twisted together, as at b. A washer or disk c is placed over the end of the twisted portion or stem b and the free ends of the wire bent outwardly, as at Y, to retain said disk or washer in place.

The hole c' in the disk is preferably punched with a pointed instrument in order to form the three upturned barbs 02 G2, between which the ends 72 of the Wire are bent. The twisted shank Z) is so short that the wires frequently turn relative to each other if not rigidly secured together. Ve have devised this means as a simple and convenient one to prevent this turning, the barbs absolutely preventing any turning of the wires.

A rod 01' handle Cis provided at its end with a fork C', by means of which to operate the device. The fork may be made of Wire or it may be cast. i In either event it has an offset or crook down, as at 04, so the handle will not turn in the hand, and the extreme ends 05 of the tines turn up, so the bail cannot slip out when carrying a dish. The fork also preferably has a collar or flange c6 thereon, which holds the ferrule firmly between it and the handle proper.

In using,` the devices above described a frame or bail B is applied to each plate to be used before they are inserted into the oven, and are left on the plates while in the oven, and they may also be left 011 the plates after their removal from the oven. Then the plates With the bails B thereon are in the oven and it is desired to lift them for removing them or for turning, the fork O Will be made to embrace the stem b of the bail and bear against the washer or disk c, the upwardly-projecting` ends c of the fork preventing,` the escape of the device therefrom. Thus it will be seen that by means of the handle and fork the pan or plate may be removed from the oven without danger of injuring the pastry contained in other pans or plates, or a pan or plate may be easily turned without disturbing other pans or plates. i

Our improvements are exceedinglysimple; They may be used without the necessity of applying them to a pan or plate while the latter is in the oven; but, on the contrary, a portion of the devices maybe allowed to remain attached to the plate or pan while in the oven.

IOO

The devices are cheap to manufacture and effectual in every respect in the performance of their functions.

Having fully described our invention, What We claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a plate lifter and turner, the combination With a series of spring-arms twisted together at their upper ends to form a common centrally-located shank, the said shank having' a fiat rounded enlargement thereon, of a handle having` a forked end adapted to constitute a bearing for the flat rounded enlargement to rest and turn upon, snbstantially as set forth.

2. In a plate lifter and turner, the combination with several spring-arms twisted to- 

